Woman Claims Baby is Stolen While Partner Steals from Walmart

Employees at the Walmart in Ocala are keeping their eyes peeled for thieves.

After three people were arrested for stealing more than one thousand dollars in goods.

The incident happened last Thursday.

And witnesses saw the suspects get into a Gold Dodge Durango.

But instead of staying away from the Walmart, the suspects came back the very next day.

That's when a Walmart loss prevention officer actually recognized the car that matched the security video and witnesses statements.

The officer called the Ocala Police Department and arrested 19 year old Megan Marie Grant.

Grant told officers that she did particpate in the theft.

During Thursday's theft one man walked out with a cart full of merchandise while grant told employees she lost her small child.

This ended up distracting employees because they went into lock down mode.

Grant then said she found her child and left the Walmart.

After grant was arrested officers went to her home where they also arrested 20 year old Paul Joseph Valenti.

Sgt. Angy Scroble, Public Information Officer with Ocala Police Department said, "At both places both in the car and in the residence, we recovered stolen items from Walmart.Then after that after they had both been arrested hours later the third person the person who had ran form the loss prevention officer turned himself in here at the Ocala Police Department."

This is the third suspect arrested 20 year old Christopher Andrew Panco.

Panco told police he did put items in the cart, but he did not know that Valenti intended to steal the merchandise.